


Second Chances

by DarkJediQueen



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Child Death, M/M, Minor Character Death, Miscarriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-10 08:17:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14733320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/pseuds/DarkJediQueen
Summary: Aaron knew that he had made a mistake when he had shoved Spencer out of his life when Aaron figured out that he was in love. He just never expected anything that followed.





	Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> **Year** : 2009/10 (Season 5)
> 
> **Spoilers** : Up Through Season 5
> 
> **Notes** : Canon does not follow timeline at all.
> 
> **Warnings** : Child Death, Minor Character Death, Miscarriage,
> 
> **Beta** : Grammarly

Aaron Hotchner watched as the consultant that the LA police used walked into the room. The man had one of those slings on his body that held a toddler in it and a slightly younger male child at his feet walking beside him. Aaron though cared little for the kids that were surrounding the man he was instead stuck on the face of. It threw Aaron back into the past, a place that he didn't visit that often because the past hurt, especially his.

The words plain as if he was hearing himself speak them the first time came back to him.

"We need to talk," Aaron had said. He remembered the look of apprehension on the other man's face as he said the words. "This thing between us. It isn't working out. I thought that I could make myself feel something for you by using sex because you are loyal. You are loyal to the team and your friends, and I knew that if I started a relationship with you after everything that you had been through, you would leave, like Haley. You wouldn't give up and walk away. But there is nothing there. I enjoy the sex, but I need more than it."

Aaron knew that the consultant was recently divorced and that the ex-wife had given up custody of the kids because she was a starlet of some kind but the name hadn't been said. Looking at the somewhere around three-years-old boy, the facial features were a smack in the face to Aaron who the mother was.

"Agent David Rossi," Dave said as he stepped up to the man, looking at Aaron as he passed with a weird look. Dave held his hand out, and Aaron almost said aloud that the man wasn't going to shake his hand.

"I don't shake hands, Agent Rossi. Welcome to LA. Agent Brannon, it's wonderful to see that the team finally settled on a member."

"Excuse me?" Brannon asked. He stood up from the chair that he had been and it seemed to galvanize the team into action. Aaron was shocked that Morgan had stayed silent as long as he had.

"You have kids?" JJ demanded, and she looked a little put out and a lot pissed.

"It's wonderful to see you as well, JJ. I was kind of shocked to get the message that my help was wanted on the case, but I see that Detective Kim did not tell you who he was pulling in. I need to get my kids settled into the children's witness room, and one of the officers will watch them." Spencer turned around on, and the boy at his side seemed to wake up and took off running down the hall. Aaron stepped up to see the boy disappear into a room. The boy called out and then the door was shut after Spencer entered the room.

"Okay, I think that I am missing something," Brannon said.

"You and me both," Dave said.

"Dave, Brannon, that was Doctor Spencer Reid, Gideon's former protege and a member of this team," Aaron said as he turned around to face the room.

Brannon had not been told everything, but Dave had, Dave had come in and filled the shoes that Gideon had left, Aaron had told him that Spencer had gone after Gideon had left the team, but he hadn't told Dave that in truth Aaron was the reason that Spencer had left. Aaron had hoped to end things, and everything with the team would go back to normal, but Spencer had left. Really, Aaron could understand why Spencer had left. Aaron, at the time, had been pretty sure that Spencer loved him. Aaron had shattered that love, and it seemed that Spencer's choice in rebound was just as bad as Aaron's had been.

"He has kids," JJ said.

"Yeah, two of them," Morgan said.

"And with Lila Archer," Aaron pointed out. He hadn't thought about the little crush that Spencer had held for the woman in years, really since about three weeks after the case but now it was coming back to him because Spencer had jumped from Aaron breaking his heart to Lila Archer with no hesitation if the age of the boy was any indication.

The door opened again, and Detective Kim walked in.

"I'm sorry, I got held up in a task force meeting about this case. It looks like I got here before the man I pulled in to help us through."

"No, you did not," Aaron said, but he kept his face neutral. "Doctor Reid is getting his kids settled into a room for an officer to watch."

"Spencer doesn't like to leave the kids at home right now because the vultures still swarm around even after he has been legally divorced for a year and separated from her when young Alia wasn't even born yet."

"I wasn't aware that Miss Archer was that big of a starlet," Prentiss said, and she looked a lot confused. Aaron was pretty sure that she had only read about what was in the case file for the case and no one, Spencer especially had ever told her that Spencer had ended up in the pool with the woman.

"They rocketed to the top of the social scene in the area when they got married while she was five months pregnant. I think at this point Reid's more well known than her really, but then again, he's very awkward with the media, and I think they adore to make him look like a kicked puppy." Kim was smiling as he said it. The door opened again, and Spencer came back into the room.

"Let me see the board and all of the new information you have gained." Spencer walked up to the board and cocked his head to the side. "A vampire huh? Or at least someone who thinks they are."

"The UnSub calls the victims a liar."

"No," Spencer said.

"What?" Aaron asked because he wasn't used to Spencer disagreeing with him.

"The Liar is written on their arms, but it's not a name-calling spat. Dante is a musician who plays at being a Vampire to sell records. His new album is called The Liar, and it is going to be released soon." Spencer turned around.

"How do you know that?" Morgan asked.

Aaron agreed that it was very much out of character for the Spencer Reid that they knew from before. Morgan looked at Aaron who was looking at anyone except for Spencer.

"Lila liked his music, and I notice headlines about it in the papers that I read."

"What do you know about vampires?"

* * *

Aaron left JJ's room while they waited for her to be taken to get scans after being attacked by Gina. He heard giggling and looked to see Spencer walking down the hall with his son in his arms. Morgan had the daughter, Alia in his arms. Aaron watched them as they talked. He moved too soon out of the little area he stopped in and instead of passing after them, he ran into Spencer. Aaron grunted in pain.

"Sorry, Hotch."

"No, it was my fault, Spencer. Morgan let me know when JJ is ready to go. I'm going back to the station to get things cleaned up and ready for us to leave."

"Yeah," Morgan said.

Aaron nodded at the both of them and started to walk the way that he had intended to go from the beginning. Aaron rubbed his chest at it ached. His body was still very sensitive after Foyet's attack even months later.

It took an hour for Aaron to get the station cleaned up and copies of what they needed to take back with them. This was going to be one of the cases that would be good to teach about in the years to come. Spencer's help had been wonderful, and all it did was remind him of what the team lost because of him.

"Can we talk?" Spencer asked.

Aaron spun around on his heel and looked at where Spencer was standing with his hand clasped behind his back. Aaron looked behind him to see that the kids weren't there.

"I'm not sure that is a good idea," Aaron said as he slipped the last file into

"Well, you are here in my territory until at least tomorrow morning. JJ's being held overnight before she is going to be deemed ready to fly. Morgan will probably call you soon to tell you that, he's helping her get settled into her room at the moment. Prentiss, Rossi, and Brannon are going to join them to set her comfortable for the night and taking dinner to her."

"I don't think that this is the place to talk at all." Aaron looked up and around at the glass walls that separated them from everyone else.

"Well, Morgan has kidnapped my children until I came and get them after JJ has had dinner, so I don't have exactly have a lot of time here."

Aaron let his gaze drift over Spencer's body, and he realized that Spencer wasn't looking at him.

"I would prefer privacy in this and to not have gossip go everywhere that you and I got into a fight."

"Do you still have the same phone number? Personal that is?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll text you my address and let you know when the kids are down to sleep for the night."

"Kim said that you and Lila were over before finding out about Alia."

"Yes. I asked for a divorce and then two weeks later she was late, and she got tested. You want more than that, come to my place." Spencer turned and opened up the door, he was gone in seconds.

Aaron watched him leave and regretted for a second that he hadn't wanted to talk to Spencer there. In public where they both had to be good would be better for them both but now Aaron was forced to go to Spencer's. Where Spencer would have all of the control. Seemed kind of fitting though because the last time that they had been around each other it had been on Aaron's turf where he had all of the control.

There was nothing for Aaron to do except for try to eat something at a greasy spoon diner that he found while waiting for Spencer to text him.

"You look like you have a lot of issues right now," a woman said as she sat down across from him. Aaron looked up at her. It was very evident what she did for a living, and he was sure that she was pretty sure that he was a cop. "Want to talk about them?"

"And what would the charge be for your services?" Aaron asked. He could feel eyes on him.

"Buy me dinner, and we can start from there?" the woman asked.

The waitress stepped up to the table. The woman grinned at Aaron and took his menu.

"We will have two burgers, one with onions, jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, and guac. The other with just onion. Pickle and ketchup on the side. Fries and onion rings to split, and my dear here will have some of those poppers you guys have. I'll take water, and he'll take Dr. Pepper."

"Thanks," the waitress said. She picked up the menus and walked away.

"I'd ask you how you know all of that, but I know you'll say that it's tricks of the trade." Aaron gave her a kind smile.

"Oh, you are a bad boy, Mister Hotch. Names Selina Kyle and my handler for my undercover op was killed last night. I need you to get a hold of my Unit Chief because it was my handler's partner that killed him."

Aaron slid his phone over across the table and unlocked it. The woman picked it up and looked through his contacts. Aaron listened as she talked to someone on the other end. Aaron had a lot of Unit Chief's numbers in his phone, so he hoped that whoever she called could help. An operation going bad was what it sounded like, and it meant something terrible had happened. Aaron's skin was crawling at the fact that someone was watching him. He really didn't want to get into a shootout here in the diner.

The woman set the phone down. "Andi will call back if he decides that he wants to take us up on the offer of a threesome, handsome so now we can sit back and enjoy dinner."

"Wonderful." Aaron didn't try and take the phone, but he did lean back when the waitress came back with their drinks. Aaron leaned back all the way and laid his arm across the back of the booth. Aaron jumped when he felt a foot on his crotch, but he didn't do anything to act any different. Whoever was watching them was far enough away to not hear low conversations but close enough to see them. Aaron covered himself with a drink of his pop before he bit his lip to seem like he was liking what was happening below the table.

Their meals came, and Aaron ate his with relish, acting like a man getting through the meal quickly before escorting his escort out of the place. Aaron's phone rang just as Aaron got into the car after shutting the woman's door. Aaron answered it.

"Do you still have her?" Andi Swann asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Take her to LAPD and drop her off there. I will have a team to take out her handler's partner before she can get out of her outfit. Thank you, Hotch. I'm sure she treated you to a show."

"She did. I'm just glad that she found me."

"She has a contact in LA that she's never shared with me until a little bit ago. I have a feeling that someone directed her toward you."

"Who?"

"Doctor Reid. From what I've heard the ladies and men of the night still really like to hit on him." Andi hung up before Aaron could say anything.

"How did you find me?" Aaron asked as he started the car and slipped his phone under his leg.

"I have a friend who I went to the Academy with. Spencer and I talk sometimes. He said that you were running around and that you would probably be at a diner with greasy food as it was comfort food. He's also the one who told me what to order for you as it was probably the only way to get you off kilter enough to let me stay until you figured out that I could be trusted at least a little." The woman smiled at Aaron for a few seconds. Aaron heard Spencer's text message tone go off because even after three years, Aaron kept his number programmed in his phone.

"Let's get you to LAPD."

"And you to Spencer."

The drive was silent, right up until Aaron parked outside of the front visitor entrance to the station. The woman turned and looked at Aaron.

"I'm not going to threaten you to treat him right. I can see the pain in your eyes from what you did the last time to him. I just ask you to not hate him for the life he lived after you left him."

Aaron nodded. The woman left, and Aaron realized that he had never got her name. Aaron waite until she was inside of the station before he drove off. Spencer's house was in a cul-de-sac and looked nothing like what Aaron had ever lived in but yet was also precisely like what he thought. It was dusk, but Aaron could see that the house was a dark purple color and that fit Spencer to a T.

Now that Aaron was there he wasn't sure that he wanted to go in at all. He didn't want to see the evidence of what Spencer's house looked like with kids living in it. Aaron wanted to rail at the world for giving of all people, Spencer who never wanted kids, who never seemed interested in learning to like kids. Spencer had two of them, and both of them were accidents it appeared when Aaron hadn't been able to have one with the woman he loved. Aaron pulled out the picture. The ultrasound had been taken just a week before Haley had lost Jack. Behind it was the picture that Aaron didn't look at much, but he had wanted it.first

Jack had lived just a few hours before dying outside of Haley's womb. Haley had refused to hold him, but Aaron had, while Jack was hooked up to machines and Aaron prayed that he lived. The picture was of Aaron holding Jack up to his body. Jack hadn't cried once, no even when he was delivered from Haley's body. It had been nearly an hour after Jack had passed before Aaron had been able to let go of his body.

Haley had refused to look at him, refused to hold him, refused to even speak about him. Aaron had handled the funeral followed by the cremation. The urn was on Aaron's mantel in his apartment.

That had been the beginning of the end because Aaron refused to forget Jack and Haley wanted to act like it had never happened. The divorce had been easy, too simple really. Especially when Haley had been found in bed with another man, which voided him having to pay her alimony. She got the house, her car, and her clothes and various things and Aaron had all of his money. By that point, Aaron had been hanging out with Spencer as friends for months. There had been no hint from Spencer that he wanted more than that, but Aaron had started to look.

Aaron had known everything by that point. Where Spencer's mom was and that Spencer had practically raised himself. Aaron had seen the letter from Diana Reid with a postmark of Bennington Sanitarium. It had come out while they had been drinking after a case. Then when The Fisher King struck, Aaron had been the first to make sure that Diana was safe, putting his weight behind getting her to DC as quickly as possible. It had been after that case that Aaron had made his first move.

Spencer has been drunk on success after submitting a psychology paper to a medical journal, and it got accepted, and for Aaron, he was sick of being alone. Spencer had been in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee that would pretty much make it sure that he wasn't going to sleep in the next while. Aaron had stepped up behind him and trailed his hand down Spencer's back, being bold and caressing Spencer's asscheek when he hit the swell of it. Spencer had spun around and looked at Aaron with such a strange look. Aaron had never been able to categorize t, but it disappeared when Aaron leaned in and pressed his lips to Spencer's.

The relationship that followed had been slow. Aaron had never given into the urges he had to touch. He had looked at many men throughout the years but never touched. Spencer was kind, loving, and gentle as he guided Aaron through learning how to be with a man. Making out had been first, over the clothes touching followed by under the clothes, rutting on each other on the couch in half dressed states to do the same on a bed naked. Spencer showed him what it was like getting head from a person who admitted to like the act of it better than the act of penetration. Aaron had been okay with that. Spencer could make Aaron come quicker than he ever had as a teenager and Spencer didn't expect reciprocation. He was okay with Aaron using his hand.

Aaron had got to where he stayed with Spencer nearly all the time, never going to his apartment except to get clothes. Aaron had missed sleeping alone and hated it so that the few nights that he forced himself to do it, he had been unable to sleep, and that was when he knew that things that gone too far. Aaron had tried to pull back slowly, but Spencer had been like a drug. Aaron got to where he hated his weakness, so he vowed to end it in the cleanest way possible.

A long work weekend had prompted it. Aaron went to Spencer's like every other time, but he didn't take up anything new. He knew he had a single outfit left, one to change into after their round of goodbye sex. Aaron had it all planned out. A great dinner that Aaron cooked, enough wine to give Aaron courage and then Aaron asking Spencer to penetrate him. They had not got that far, Aaron's fear and Spencer's dislike of the sex act had tabled it for a long time. Aaron wanted him to have that one good memory though.

The night had been perfect, and Aaron had loved and hated every single second of it. He had been unable to sleep so after he was sure that Spencer was asleep, Aaron had showered and changed before packing up everything that was his that he wanted to take home. The shirt that Spencer had talked him into buying, Aaron had left because there was no way that he would ever be able to wear it and not thinking about Spencer.

Aaron had been writing his goodbye letter to Spencer when he younger man had woke up realized that Aaron wasn't in bed. Spencer had come out wrapped in a sheet because he was still naked from sex. He had looked so young then, and Aaron knew that he was an asshole and an idiot. He never should have started a relationship with a man that was that much younger than him. Aaron crumpled the letter and looked at Spencer. He had tried to be gentle, but the look of confusion and then love on Spencer's face had made Aaron angry. Spencer had been stupid enough to love him, to fall in love with a man that could give him nothing.

Lashing out in anger, Aaron had shown Spencer that while inner team profiling might have been frowned up, it was done. Aaron went after every single weak spot in Spencer's psyche that he could. He didn't want Spencer to come after him at all. He showed Spencer why trusting him had been an ill judgment. He had shown Spencer that he wasn't worth the love that Spencer had for him.

It had taken months for Aaron to regret it. Dave had come back, and the team had been hurting from Spencer leaving. While Gideon was talked about, Spencer was a ghost that was never mentioned. He was just the former agent. It hurt to say his name. It hurt when they went to Vegas on a case last year. Everything hurt when Aaron thought about Spencer.

In the cold of the night after the disastrous case in New York where Aaron had nearly been blown up, Aaron had finally admitted to himself what he had done. He had been afraid of falling love that he had never realized that he had, not until it was gone from him forever.

Aaron didn't know what he wanted anymore. He hadn't since the night he has destroyed what was likely to be his last chance at happiness because Spencer had been the one person in the world to accept him for how he was. No one before and even after, the few people that Aaron had tried to go on dates with would ever accept him for who he was.

There was a knock on the window of Aaron's SUV. He looked to the side expecting it to be a cop to tell him to move on, even if he was in a government SUV. Instead, it was Spencer with two mugs in his hand. Aaron unlocked the doors and Spencer opened up the door and sat down, passing over a mug. The mug was warm, and Aaron could smell the bergamot.

"Do you still drink tea?" Spencer asked.

"Yes," Aaron lied. He hadn't drunk it since he had crushed Sencer. Late nights drinking it had soured Aaron to it because just like many other things, it reminded him of Spencer.

"Liar," Spencer said.

There was the sound of a small cry, and Spencer pulled a walkie-talkie from his pocket, but no other noise happened.

"Alia does that on occasion. She's fine."

"We can go inside." Aaron lifted the tea up to take a drink and realized how much he missed it. Especially the way that Spencer made it.

"You were the one that sat out here for half an hour, Hotch."

"Reliving the past."

"Torturing yourself with it more like. You can't keep doing that. You are going to become Gideon if you do."

"Dave pointed that out to me not too long ago. I didn't realize it." Aaron looked at the tea before he drained it. It was the perfect temperature for that. He didn't fear burning his mouth. He set the mug on the dash and turned around in his seat, popping his seat belt off. "Can you forgive me?"

"It depends. I have a lot of questions about that night and what led up to it, and it depends on how you answer those questions whether or not I can ever forgìve you." Spencer sipped his tea.

"This isn't the kind of conversation that you have in an SUV, even if it's a nice one."

"Then come inside." Spencer opened the car door and slipped out, leaving Aaron to have to carry in his mug. Aaron followed behind him up the steps and into the house. Even just stopping in the foyer, Aaron knew that Spencer had made this place a home for him and her kids. He wondered if Lila had ever lived there Spencer had bought it after they divorced.

Aaron took his time looking around at everything as he tried to find the kitchen, which was at the back of the house. The kitchen smelled like Earl Grey tea and what Aaron was sure was spice cake. He remembered Spencer's spice cake and Aaron's stomach growled even though he had eaten more than his fair share of the poppers at dinner. He had not eaten many of the fries or the onion rings though.

"You always did like my spice cake," Spencer said as he set down a plate with a slice before taking Aarnos mug from him and filling it up from a pot. A second slice was set down and a second mug. Spencer sat there and waved Aaron to sit down across from him.

"What scared you so much that as a lover, as a friend, and as a co-worker, you had to rip every shred of confidence you had instilled in me?"

Aaron picked up the fork and took a bite of the cake. He wasn't shocked that it was the first question that Spencer had. Aaron sipped at the tea, finding it just warm enough for his liking. He looked up at Spencer to see him sleeping at his tea as well. There were no bites taken from the cake.

"Do you remember that night that I went home? The next day at work you said that I looked like crap. I lied to you when I told you that I got home and got distracted cleaning and didn't get enough sleep."

"Okay." Spencer wrenched his eyes away from Aaron and looked at his cake before taking a bite.

Watching Spencer enjoy eating his cake reminded Aaron of the time that Spencer had made the icing while Aaron had been watching. Spencer had coated the tip of a finger in the icing and held it out for Aaron to taste. Aaron had licked said finger clean but had been unable to decide if it needed something else. Spencer had been sitting on the counter with the bowl in his lap. Aaron removed the bowl and dipped his finger around the rim, catching little bits of the frosting. Aaron painted Spencer's lips with it and leaned in to lick and kiss the taste away. It had tasted even better off f Spencer's lips so Aaron got the idea that it would taste good elsewhere. Spencer had tried to pick up the bow, so Aaron had grabbed that hand followed by the other. Aaron pinned Spencer's hands above his head, against the cabinet while Aaron painted his neck and chest in icing before licking it off.

Aaron shook his head because that night was no one that he needed to be remembering. It had been the first time that Aaron had sucked Spencer's cock, even if he hadn't done it long, wanting to taste the icing from Spencer's cock after licking it off his nipples.

"Sorry I got a little distracted," Aaron apologized. He ate another bite of his cake before sipping his tea. "I couldn't sleep, no without you beside me, even though you had never stayed over at my place. You have invaded my mind, my life, and I wanted you gone. I wanted to not have that ache inside when I wasn't with you, and I didn't react well at all. You had invaded my life in so many ways, and for a while I hated it. I hated it so much. So I made sure that you would leave me without a fight. Going after all of the little holes and making them huge. I destroyed in the biggest and most personal way possible."

"You really did. I couldn't face going back to work. Strauss didn't fight me when I said that I couldn't be on the team without Gideon. I wanted to lay it all out, tell her everything but then I knew that I would never be happy with myself for it. I packed up and was out of DC within a week."

"And here in LA with Lila."

"You have no fucking right to be jealous." Spencer pointed his fork at Aaron before he went back to eating his cake. Aaron watched him, eating it the way that he always did. All of the outside edges first followed bb the inside. The last bite speared and eaten whole. Spencer got up and washed off his plate before leaving it st in the sink. He snagged his tea mug and started for the back door. Aaron dropped his fork gently, but it still clinked off of the plate. Spencer didn't turn around. "Lock up when you leave."

"No," Aaron said.

"What?" Spencer asked without turning around. He opened the back door and made to step out.

"I'm not leaving until we have talked it all out." Aaron wanted to see what Spencer did, but the younger man took another step into the backyard

"There is nothing left. I got the answer that I wanted. You were so abhorrent to the idea that you were in love with me that it made you destroy me. You broke me so that you didn't have to feel anything." Spencer started to close the door.

"Dammit, Spencer that is not it." Aaron stood up, not caring that his chair fell over in a rush to get up. He stalked around the table. Aaron jerked the back door open but didn't let it slam open. He did not want to wake up the kids. Aaron grabbed Spencer's arm and spun him around, forcing Spencer to look at him. "I didn't realize that I was in love with you until after you were gone. It took months. I was addicted to you. The way you felt pressed against me. The way you tasted. The way that you made me feel like I was enough. I was not ready for that. I was in too much pain from the loss of Jack and then Haley. I hadn't healed enough to be able to be what you needed, and I knew it. So instead of sticking around for the inevitable fall out of me not being enough again for someone, I forced you to leave me. I regret it every single day that I wake up, and my bed is empty because I still love you."

Aaron didn't give Spencer the chance to answer at all. He smashed his lips to Spencer and forced his lips apart with an incessant tongue. Aaron back Spencer up, shoving him into the pole that held up the deck above them. Aaron was shocked that Spencer was not fighting him. He was in fact participating, thrusting his tongue against Aaron's and gripped Aaron's arms to keep him close.

They were pressed so close that Aaron was having trouble breathing. When he needed to finally take a deeper breath than the shallow ones that he was able, Aaron pressed kisses up SPencer's cheek before letting his lips rest beside Spencer's ear.

"I love you, Spencer Reid."

"Prove it," Spencer said.

* * *

Aaron swallowed as he waited for the passengers to disembark the plane. Dirk was the first one that Aaron saw. He crouched down and waited for the boy to run to him.

"Aaron," Dirk called out as he sighted Aaron. Dirk ran right at Aaron and leaped into his arms.

"Hey buddy," Aaron said, looking for Spencer and Alia. Spencer popped around a man who was going slow.

"Papa said we were going to stay with you for the summer. Is that true?" Dirk looked really excited.

"Yes."

"Oh, I'm so excited."

"So am I." Aaron turned to see Spencer carrying just the carry on bag that had things for Alia in it. "I brought that stroller so we can put both of them in it so that one of us can at least carry the bags."

"I just have things for the kids. Most of my things I had UPS ship. It was cheaper than having extra bags while flying. A single go bg, but I will gladly not have to carry Alia anymore. She wanders too much to have to chase her around the airport."

"Okay. You look tired."

"Didn't sleep well last night and the kids were up early. I'll force Dirk to nap with me when Alia goes down."

Aaron directed Spencer over to the stroller, and Dirk sat down in the larger front seat while Spencer settled a yawning Alia into the back seat. He buckled her in before standing up. Aaron caught his face, and Spencer smiled at him. Aaron made his intentions clear as he leaned in. Spencer didn't fight him or back away at all. In deference to the location that they were in, Aaron kept the kiss short and sweet. Aaron held his eyes locked on Spencer's as he pulled back. Spencer's eyes weren't hooded like they had been in the past, but there was nothing there but fondness. Aaron wanted affection, love, anything really other than just attachment.

"I can't wait to see the new furniture you have in your office," Spencer said as they walked to where Spencer would have to wait for the carousel to bring around Spencer's single bag.

"New furniture?" Aaron asked. He tried to think about what he had got that was new but stopped when he realized that it was the new furniture that Spencer was seeing but the totally new office location. "Oh, yeah. I'll show you after your nap."

Aaron had the car seats for Dirk and Alia in the car. Aaron had willingly bought them. The relationship had taken time to build, especially with Spencer on the West Coast but for Aaron it was good. Aaron got to know the kids through Skype calls, and they got to know him. First as a friend and then as more.

"You bought a new car?" Spencer asked as Aaron stopped the stroller in front of a smaller SUV.

"I had put a lot of miles on the other one. I found one that I liked and bought it."

"It's a little big for a bachelor isn't it?" Spencer asked, looking confused.

Aaron knew what he meant and knew not to take it personally. He did know precisely what Spencer meant. Spencer lived on the other coast and it wasn't like he, and the kids were going to be there full time. Aaron hoped that maybe the summer together would change that. Spencer was going to be staying until August with the kids. Aaron really wanted to become a family in that time and make it impossible for Spencer to want to leave. The distance had been reasonable when learning who each other was after everything that had happened to them but now it just made Aaron's heartache.

Spencer kept the chatter up with Dirk asking a lot of questions about everything that he saw out his window while Alia, who Aaron could see perfectly in the rearview mirror just soaked it all in. She was shy and very quiet while Dirk was outgoing. It was the two sides of Spencer that Aaron had gotten used to. Aaron could see parts of Lila in them both, but more he saw Spencer.

Alia was dead asleep when they arrived at Aaron's new house.

"Aaron?" Spencer asked looking around, his eyes blinking in the way they did when he was tired. "What are we doing here?"

"I..." Aaron swallowed and looked around at the kids in the back seat. Dirk was looking at the house with a keen eye. The house was a stupid purchase that Aaron bounced from regretting to not regretting depending on how his mood was. At the moment he was regretting it. "My apartment was small, and I know that you said you were fine with making it work and taking the kids out so they wouldn't get the too uncomfortable feeling but I want you here when I am here, and I never know when a case is going to take me away. I got stupid, and I bought a house that had enough room for all three of you. I bought Alia a princess bed set, all in purple and nothing pink and Dirk has a race car bed. I figured that we could buy toys and decorations and things, but there is a dresser in each room and a bookshelf and just generic lamps. I wanted you three to be comfortable here all summer and not have to worry about being too much for me in my small apartment."

Spencer turned to look at the house, but his face was unreadable to Aaron before he lost it. Aaron hated that unreadable look to his eyes. Aaron swallowed as he waited for Spencer to say anything at all.

"I didn't realize that Reid Babbles were contagious. I'm awed you did so much to make sure that we were happy during our stay, but you didn't have to."

"I know that I didn't have to, I wanted to. I want this Spencer, I want it all, and I'll do whatever it takes to get that."

Spencer turned around to face Aaron his face split into a grin, but he yawned before it could really make Aaron happy.

"Let's get inside. And if Dirk doesn't want to nap he doesn't have to. I am more than capable of watching him."

Aaron hoped that Spencer agreed to it. It would be the first time that Aaron had been left alone with either kid other than Spencer running to the bathroom.

"Can we go on an adventure?" Dirk asked.

"Sure." Aaron looked at Dirk, turning in his seat to smile at the boy. Dirk started to dance in his seat.

"Let's get Alia and me down for a nap then," Spencer said as he yawned again.

Aaron opened up the glove box and pulled out a key. He handed it to Spencer. "This is your key. If you want to get Alia and go inside, I'll get the bags and bring in Dirk."

"Okay." Spencer took the key and let himself out of the car. He got Alia out, and she curled into him easily. They were adorable.

By the time that Aaron got inside with Dirk, after showing the boy everything that was in the front yard and the back, Aaron felt like he could probably take a nap. Dirk was yawning, and Aaron ended up carrying him halfway through the inside tour. Aaron left the upstairs rooms for later when all of them were awake.

"Dirk, how about a nap?"

"Yes, please. I'll stay in my room until you or Papa wake up." Dirk laid his head on Aaron's shoulder as they started up the steps. It was interesting to carry a child around. Aaron was used to Henry, but the boy was slightly standoffish with Aaron. Aaron figured that it had more to do with the way the team tiptoed around him when it came to kids. Spencer had done that until Aaron had asked him time and again how the kids were doing in their video calls. Jack would always be there in Aaron's heart, but he couldn't dwell on the past if he wanted a future. Seeing Spencer with kids had hurt at first, Spencer had never said he wanted kids, and the way that he acted around them on the team had made Aaron think that he never wanted them. It was one of the things that had been discussed that night when Aaron had gone to Spencer's house in LA.

Dirk was asleep before Aaron could cover him up all the way. The boy had taken his pants off but left his shit and socks on. Aaron peeked his head into Alia's room, the bumper racks that Aaron had bought were up on both sides of the bed, and she was asleep between them, head touching one and feet the other. Aaron wondered if maybe he should have got a bigger bed. Aaron stepped in to cover her up better, having knocked the blankets off of herself in her quest to lay the wrong way on the bed.

Aaron wasn't sure if Spencer had laid down in a guest room or Aaron's room. Aaron hoped that he was in his room, but it was something that they had not discussed yet. Aaron didn't look in the guest room, wanting to hold off on the disappointment for as long as possible. The door to Aaron's room was mostly shut, so Aaron gently pushed it open. Spencer was curled up on the side of the bed that Aaron didn't sleep on, the one that Spencer used to sleep on all of the time. It made Aaron's heart ache to see it. Aaron could see dark smudge through the sheet to know that Spencer had kept on his shirt and underwear but had taken off everything else.

Stripping down to the same, Aaron got into bed with Spencer. He didn't roll over and crowd Spencer, but he got close. The baby monitor was on the bedside and turned on. Where Aaron had felt tired before, he wasn't anymore. He stared at Spencer's back, just watching him. He knew that it was creepy, but he couldn't stop. Spencer was there, in his bed, for three months. Everything was working out in Aaron's favor for the first time in years. He had his lover back, and he had two kids that he adored. Everything was going wonderfully.

* * *

Aaron looked at the phone number that was calling him. It was Will. Aaron looked at JJ to see her laughing at a joke Morgan was telling.

"Hotchner," Aaron said as h answered the phone.

"Hotch, how long until you are home?" Will asked.

"Thirty minutes until we touch down. I was going to go into the office so about two hours."

"Why don't you and the team see about diverting to the airport closest to your house and cut out the going to the office?"

"Will, what happened?" Aaron said his name to get the attention of e team. Every eye in the jet was on him.

"Your house has been broken into."

"Spencer,, the kids?" Aaron asked.

Spencer had only been in town three weeks, and the rest of the team had been told that Spencer was not arriving until the beginning of July to give Aaron and Spencer some alone time before the other descended. Aaron looked at JJ to see a hurt look on her face. It had been spencers choice, and Aaron had not fought him on it.

"They are safe. Dirk is a little shook up, but Alia slept through it all. "

"Morgan divert the jet, Dave get us an escort to my house. It's been broken into," Aaron said loud enough for the whole team to hear it. Lowering his voice again, Aaron spoke t Will next. "We will be there as soon as possible."

"Good. I've everything settled here."

Aaron hung up and looked at the team. Dave was still on the phone and Morgan hadn't come back from the cockpit yet. Two minutes later, Morgan appeared, and he had a phone in hand.

"No, Garcia, we are not going there first. We are going straight to Hotch's. I don't know why you didn't get an alert."

Aaron closed his eyes and leaned his head back into the headrest of the seat he was in. It was night and Garcia should have been headed home. He wouldn't be shocked if she met them at Aaron's house. Aaron only hoped that Garcia was kept from going inside.

"What's going on?" Dave asked after everyone was settled in and Morgan was off the phone.

"Will was a little light on information, but my house was broken into. MPD responded. Spencer and the kids have been with m or three weeks, you will have to take up why he told you all a different arrival time with him. They are fine. Alia it seems slept through it all. Will did not give me more than that."

"Garcia can't find a record of anything, and it's upsetting her. She can't access the 911 call or the MPD file on it." Morgan sounded little shocked at that.

"I have no clue, maybe no one has started a digital file yet."

The next thirty-five minutes passed in the slowest fashion possible. The closer airport took off a few minutes of flight time, but traffic out of the airport was horrible. Aaron was driving the lone SUV that was dropped.

The standard almost half an hour drive from the airport to the house took fifteen. Aaron had the lights and the sirens going and only turned off the sirens when they hit the residential area.

The ambulance outside of the house, as well as a coroner's van a collection of other MPD and FBI vehicles, did not help Aaron settle down. Will was walking toward them and met Aaron at the door.

"Foyet broke into the house. We had no confirmation on that as it was only Spencer's word and he was half asleep, but he said that he was wearing the Reaper mask. Spencer fought with him and dazed him enough to get to your gun safe and get a gun out. Foyet only had a knife with him. They fought again, and Spencer shot him in the gut, but he escaped."

"Again?" Morgan asked.

"He got three houses over before he bled out from the shot. We have his body and the prints match. Officers in tactical gear followed the blood trail to where he died. We don't know what his plan was other than gutting Spencer for Aaron to find. However, Spencer had kept a few things back. He said he would only tell FBI. I didn't press him. He will be going to the hospital as Foyet got him good in the arm but he refused to go until the team arrived to take Dirk and Alia."

"You said he was fine."

"No, I said he was safe. Those are two very different things."

Aaron pushed past Will and started for his house. No one tried to stop him. A patrol officer escorted Aaron to where Spencer was ensconced on the couch in the living room with Alia asleep on a cushion and his leg stopping her from rolling while Dirk was asleep in Spencer's lap.

"I will tell you everything if you keep your mouth shut, all of you," Spencer said as soon as Aaron was sitting down in front of him on the coffee table.

Aaron looked at the bandage that was wrapped around his upper arm, and he reached out to run his finger it.

"I need stitches." Spencer sighed and closed his eyes. "I was almost asleep when the alarm system beeped that someone had entered the house with the code. I knew that Aaron was still at least two hours away as he was going to stop by the office to pick up what he needed to work from home tomorrow. Well, technically today. Before I could get off of the bed, the bedroom door opened. I was still kind of out of it, but I knew the Reaper's mask. I looked it up after when I ran into Aaron in the hospital, and he grunted in pain. I read the article on him being attacked at home by the Reaper. I wasn't expecting to see him coming into Aaron's house though. He charged me, and we fought. I remember slamming his head into the solid wood of the footboard. I got to the safe to get the gun before he was unfazed enough to come after me. We fought more, and I was able to get the gun turned to where I could shoot him. He stabbed me in the arm just seconds before I was able to do that. The sound of the gun going off woke up Dirk and he started screaming. Foyet took off, and I chose not to go after him bt check on Alia instead. I grabbed my cell phone and called 911, giving Aaron's address and that it was an escaped serial killer who had attacked me in the house of an FBI agent that he had attacked before."

Dirk moved on Spencer's lap, and Aaron didn't even think, he picked up the boy and settled him on his lap to where Dirk's head was on Aaron's chest. Spencer smiled at Aaron with a pleased look on his face.

"Alia was asleep so I went to get Dirk and we all three settled in Alia's room. The door was unlocked, so the officers let themselves in. Will was the first there, the dispatcher called him because she recognized Aaron's name as being JJ's boss. He found us up there and helped me get Alia down here while they checked over everything."

"It's not like Foyet to go into a situation blind," Dave pointed out.

"While we were fighting," Spencer started, and he looked at Aaron with a frown on his face. "Foyet called me a twink and that he had plans to make sure that Aaron's replacement children were on display nicely for when he came home. I don't think he did much research on my past that I work at Caltech. He didn't go back far enough to find my FBI days. When he was on me after I shot him, he muttered something about how I knew to fire a gun. I think he let his want of finally having something to mess with Hotch about and he didn't do as much research as he thought. I'm more worried about the fact that the system didn't beep to tell me he had gained entry until he was already mostly up the stairs."

"He is good with technology," JJ said. She looked at the cut on Spencer's arm and sighed. "Spence, you need to get to eh hospital. I'll stay here with the kids until you are done."

"Take them to Dave's, I'm not staying here," Aaron said. Spencer opened his mouth to protest, but Aaron glared at him. Spencer snapped his mouth shut and glared. "Onc the alarm has been checked over and the team has gone over this place with a fine-toothed comb, then I will allow the kids to come back."

Spencer slumped in the seat and nodded. He looked away from Aaron and at a spot on the wall. Spencer called it Aaron's caveman tactics, but Aaron didn't want Spencer and especially the kids staying in the house where Foyet could have set a trap.

"Come on," Aaron said, and he handed off Dirk to Morgan. JJ picked up Alia, and the girl snuffed but settled onto her.

"Let's all get some sleep and work on this in the morning," Dave said. He looked at Aaron next. "I expect you two to take a cab to my place. I'll have Mrgan get some clothes for you both to wear to sleep and to wear tomorrow. No fighting."

"Thanks, Rossi," Spencer said.

"You are welcome, now march yourself outside and get that looked at."

Aaron hated the silence that filled up the space between him and Spencer as Aaron escorted him to the ambulance. Aaron was allowed to ride in the front given that he was the protective detail for Spencer. At least that was what Aaron said to them. Aaron heard he muttered words about having an allergy to narcotics as well as beta-lactams. Aaron had known about the beta-lactam, but the narcotics were a shock until he thought about it. It was the best way to make sure that he was never given them. In the wake of Hankel having his hands on Spencer, the mental addiction that Spencer had developed had been enough that it had taken Aaron two weeks to realize what his lover was going through. Spencer had tried to hide it, but he had been unable to long-term from Aaron.

The thought of what Spencer might have done in the aftermath of Aaron leaving him like he had in response to the addiction that he had never crossed Aaron's mind. Aaron wanted to turn around in the ambulance and tell Spencer he was sorry, again but he didn't. Spencer wouldn't want any of that blabbed to the EMTs.

Once they arrived at the hospital, Spencer was transferred to a single room on the far side of the ER. Aaron liked it because while Foyet had never used a partner before, he hadn't attacked Aaron in almost a year, so it was bizarre. Aaron didn't want anyone getting to Spencer. Aaron took a seat on the chair while Spencer pushed himself up onto the gurney in the room. Aaron watched Spencer looking at the field dressing that had been applied to his arm.

"How bad is it?"

"He got the blade all the way through my arm. I don't think I have any muscle or tendon damage, but I can't be sure. I'll get a battery of tests and a lot of shots. My tetanus is up to date, and since Foyet bled I'll be getting a workup because of blood exchange as well, or at least I will make sure that they do it."

Aaron smiled at him. The door opened, and Aaron forced himself to stay in the seat. He didn't need to hover at Spencer's side. He watched as the doctor poked and prodded Spencer's arm before having Spencer get his upper clothes off. Spencer was in sleep pants, so the doctor let him keep those on. Aaron smiled at Spencer's body, inwardly. Spencer had been taking care of himself, and while they shared a bed at night, nothing sexual had happened, and Aaron only briefly saw Spencer's body if he changed in the bedroom and not the bathroom. It was just like the first time, starting with simple kisses and before Aaron had left town for the case, a very intense makeout session on the couch.

This was another start for them, and Aaron was more than willing to take it as slow as Spencer wanted. Their first go around at a relationship had Aaron being the one to keep things slow, so it was kind of fitting that Spencer was the one this time.

The tiredness from being up almost half of the night the night before and not napping on the jet meant that when Aaron tipped his head to lean on the wall that was beside him, he was asleep in a few minutes.

"Agent Hotchner?" a voice called out from the door.

Aaron startled awake at the voice, and he looked around. A woman was standing in the doorway. Aaron knew that he had slept too long. His neck was stiff and his body sore from sleeping sitting up. He looked at the bed to see that Spencer wasn't on it anymore.

"Where is Doctor Reid?" Aaron asked.

"He's getting his final machine tests done. I'm just getting ready to get him some early breakfast and coffee. He wanted me to make sure that I got you some as well."

"Whatever he's getting is fine. Orange juice though instead of apple." Aaron stretched in the chair before standing up. The woman nodded and left. Her scrubs told Aaron that she was a nurse of some kind. Aaron walked himself through several of the stretches that he usually did before he went running. When Aaron was finished the door opened again, and Spencer was being brought in, sitting in a wheelchair. The dressing on his arm was fresh, and he was wearing a scrub top.

Spencer smiled at Aaron as Aaron stepped over to help him up out of the chair and settle onto the bed. Aaron made sure not to touch the other arm.

"I was numbed up before coming in. No tendon damage, nerve, or muscle damage. We are just waiting on the on-call surgeon to come in and take care of it."

"Good. How does it feel?"

"No worse than anything else at the moment, the numbing is kicking in though. I have three prescriptions to fill. Antibiotic, muscle relaxer to keep my arm from stiffening up and kept it relaxed, and a script for Motrin 800s."

"Good. We can stop and get those filled before heading to Dave's."

Spencer nodded before he yawned. Aaron reached out and cupped the side of his face. Spencer laid his own hand over the top of it and smiled.

"I'm sorry that he came after you. I didn't." Aaron sighed. "I didn't think that he would. The team has been looking for him, but it seems that he never stopped hunting me, just bided his time until he had something that he could use against me. I didn't think that he would attack you at all. He's going after me. He didn't threaten anyone after he attacked and stabbed me."

Spencer let go of Aaron's hand and laid his palm on Aaron's middle chest, his hand splayed. Aaron hadn't allowed Spencer to see the scars, even though during their making out, he had felt them a few times. It was personal and private, and Aaron wasn't ready to show Spencer them.

"I'm going to be wearing a sling for a little while and will be doing some exercises that will allow me to keep it limber, but I'm not going to be able to lift Alia one-handed, so she's going to be pouty."

"She'll get used to it. She babied you the last time you stubbed your toe, trying to get you to stay seated and let her get you everything. I'm sure that Dirk and held by picking her up and letting you wrap your arm around her on your hip. I can pick her up and put her in your arms."

"That's good. I forgot what it was like to face down and UnSub. The rush of emotion and the adrenaline that courses through the body to make sure that you live. I didn't miss it though," Spencer said, and his face lightened some.

"I'm glad that you were able to keep your head. I don't want to lose you again."

Spencer hummed and leaned up a little. Aaron smirked and leaned in to meet Spencer for a kiss. It was simple and just a reminder that they were there. They were alive. It was utterly perfect.

Two hours later, after filling their bellies and Spencer getting stitched up, Aaron called them a cab and got them to Dave's. The house wasn't empty, but it was still early enough that the kids were still asleep. Spencer's muscle relaxer was making him very drowsy, so Aaron escorted him to the room where both of the kids were laid down on a bed. Pillows were blocking Alia from falling off and from Dirk rolling over on her. Aaron didn't pull Spencer away from the door until Spencer was starting to tip over on his feet.

Spencer dropped onto the bed without any prodding from Aaron at all. He started to wiggle and arm watched him as he got the sling off before basically wiggling like a worm out of his scrub top. He sat up to pull it off of his hurt arm and tossed it towards the clothes basket that was in the guest room. It was technically Aaron's guest room. Where Aaron stayed when they went out drinking. Aaron hadn't stayed over since reconnecting with Spencer.

"I don't think that I can love you," Spencer said as he flopped back down onto the bed and opened his eyes to stare at Aaron. Aaron paused in taking off his tie and looked at Spencer. Aaron had said the words, and he meant them, a great deal, but Spencer hadn't said the words. Aaron understood that he had hurt Spencer a great deal and he could understand the man being hesitant about admitting what he was feeling.

"You don't think you can love me?" Aaron asked, repeating what Spencer said with a question at the end. He wanted Spencer to get his words out before he started saying anything.

"I thought that it was the distance. That not being here or there with you meant that I was having trouble feeling like I was in a relationship." Spencer rolled onto his side, letting his injured arm settle on his side with the hand held up. Aaron stepped up to the bed and grabbed two pillows from his side of the bed, Dave really liked his pillows, and there were six on the damned bed. Aaron stacked those two under Spencer's arm and let the hand and forearm settle on top. Spencer hummed a thanks, and his eyes drooped shut.

"And now?" Aaron prodded as he settled on the bed on his hip. SHoes had been left downstairs by the door. Aaron grabbed his sock sand jerked them off, tossing them at the hamper.

"I loved you once, I know what that felt like. I loved you so much, and it hurt so much when you left me. I couldn't face you."

"I know."

"I wanted to go out and buy, but I didn't. It wasn't until much later that I realized that instead of not feeling the want of Dilaudid, I was using sex instead. Lila became pregnant, and I did the right thing. I married her. We tried so hard to make the relationship work, but it didn't. The sex was great. Hell, sex was the only thing good about our relationship. Without it, we fell apart, and we knew it. Lila never wanted kids, and she tried to want Dirk, but it just wasn't there. She calls from New York, where her new show is filming, and she talks to Dirk and some to Alia. They know that she is their mother, but they don't miss her. I wonder if that's my fault."

Aaron waited as three minutes passed, Spencer's eyes were open and were moving so Aaron knew that he was awake but he wasn't sure why Spencer wasn't speaking. Aaron waited through another minute before he reached out and brushed a finger over Spencer's cheek.

"How could it be your fault?"

"I can't love. Oh, I love my kids, and I love my mother but I..." Spencer swallowed and sighed. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then locked eyes with Aaron, rolling his head to the side a little so he could.

"You don't have to be in love yet, don't push yourself, Spencer. We both want this, and we can take however long you want. You don't have to be in love right now."

"I don't think this is something that I can fix, Aaron. I don't think that I can love you like you want like you should have."

Aaron wasn't sure what to say to that. What did one say to a boyfriend who it seemed didn't think that they could love? Spencer knew that Aaron loved him and yet Spencer was trying. He was trying. Aaron wondered if that would be enough. Spencer trying and wanting to be in a relationship with him. Would Spencer just wanting to be there be enough?

"I think you broke my ability to love you and possibly anyone else," Spencer said, and his voice was soft like he was fighting sleep.

Aaron reached out and brushed his fingers up and Spencer's cheek. Spencer closed his eyes, and a smile parted his lips. It was going to be hard, but Aaron didn't like easy. Spencer's body started to relax as he began to fall asleep. Aaron didn't move so that Spencer didn't wake up. When Aaron was sure that Spencer was asleep he got up to finish getting undressed. He watched Spencer the whole time. He thought about what life would be like without Spencer in it. He hadn't liked the over three years that he had been out of Aaron's life and it was like he had learned to breathe again when Spencer agreed to try a long distance talking relationship at first. Everything had been perfect and so much better after Spencer had entered his life again.

There was little that Aaron could do to make Spencer love him if Aaron had indeed broken him so much that he couldn't love, Aaron felt duty bound to make sure that at least Spencer was happy with his life and so far Spencer seemed delighted with him. Aaron loved the kids which was an odd feeling for him because he was sure that he wouldn't ever get attached to kids again. Dirk liked him, and Alia was warming up to him.

The thought of not having all three of them in his life made his heart and even his soul ache.

Once down to his boxers, Aaron pulled a blanket from the closet to cover him and Spencer up with. Spencer was passed out on the ones that were on the bed, and Aaron didn't want to wake him up. Aaron wrapped himself around Spencer, making sure not to hit his arm.

"I think that I love you enough for both of us," Aaron whispered and made a vow to himself to never let Spencer think that anything would be better if he weren't there.

# The End

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
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> Do not make comments about mistakes, I know that they are there but between the option of not posting and posting, I would rather post after running through Grammarly than to not post in the challenge time.
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